Abstract:

As thousands of permanent and seasonal farmworkers have descended upon the Coachella Valley a major housing crisis has occurred. Despite the long hours migrant workers spend working in the fields, they receive insufficient payment from their labor for living and housing expenses. Year after year, as the workers produce billions for the local economy, many find themselves living out of their car or sleeping on a dusty mattress in a parking lot. This has partially been a result of low wages, as well as restricting legislation that has left many families on the streets.
In response, my teammate and I attempted to address the issue at the architectural scale this past fall during the 2014 Cripe Design Competition. We provided strategies which lowered utility costs while also empowering the residents to live better lives. Though the issue can by no means be solved through architectural design alone, we are hoping that ours would enrich the lives of those migrant workers that live there.